Session 18 Recap:
Session 18 - Floating heads, a Glowing Draco-lich and Rope-bridge shenanigans. 10xp PC’s - Penut, Arik, Dandy @ the upper cliff *Arik and Tivram (being NPC’d where necessary), still keeping watch at the cliffs edge, don’t notice the approaching patrol until the last minute. Tiv casts an illusion, making them hard to see/invisible. *The patrol is 5 mercenaries lead by a hybrid but Arik spots at the far rear of the collum (wearing a mercenary uniform) the gnome who was guarding the jewel at the Castigan Ball -Peanut. *Arik is in such surprise he sticks his head out of the illusion, and in turn Peanut (not the rest of the patrol) spots his floating head. *As the mercenaries reach the cliff Arik attacks, knocking two instantly over the edge (WILHELM scream x2). The hybrid responds by leaping over the edge and flying out so he can attack without getting caught in the melee. But Arik leaps over and stabs into the dragon-hybrid and tries to hang onto the sword/dragon. *The Hybrid collides Arik into the cliffs, knocking him off, but is pierced through the heat with an Arrow from Peanut. Tivram dispatches the last guards. @ the Machine *Gar (also in NPC mode) starts transforming painfully. He was given a sedative and left to rest inside the huge Dragon skull. *Dandy investigates the people in the cages and sus’s out 2 interesting people. -a former mercenary from the company the Hybrids are working with. (fm) -An accademic (who seems overly keen on studying dragons) (m) *Utilizing some of the materials Dandy has collected and some of Goldie's alchemy set, Dandy creates a large quantity of fluorescent paint and uses it to paint the front section of the large Dragon Skellington to the east of the machine. *As Dandy is painting, the machine makes a loud ‘POP’ noise and the ground shudders, causing several new fissures to open in the ground. @ The Cliffs/Fracture upper levels *The group covers their tracks, and signs of the fight using bone-dust. *Arik and Peanut catch up and establish they are on the same side (Peanut is hired by Castigan to investigate his brother's mercenary company) *Arik lays down some mechanical alarms at the clifftop to alert them if another patrol comes this way (effectively a trip-wire and flare) *The ground shaking convinces them to meet up with the others and they head in. *When they get to the guard on the bridge/column they try to deceive him, but they end up knocking him over and trying to ‘ride the bridge down’ by severing the ropes. It causes some bruises, but works. @The Machine *Dandy fakes a loud dragon roar (quite well) and stealths past the group of mercenaries and hybrids who come to investigate the apparently ‘alive’ glowing dragon. *The captives are released and lead away to a remote corner of the bottom level (near the skull where Gar is) *Realising they would not have long before the mercenaries regroup and come looking for them all Goldie creates a will-o-wisp with magic and sends for the rest of their team. *Arik, Peanut and Tivram get the message from Goldie and pick up their pace. Arik uses divine magic to create a moving platform to take them down - the team is re-united. *Dandy talks to the captives she rescued and discovered the hybrid’s purpose is to “Recover lost brethren”. * The pieces of the puzzle click into place in Dandy's mind (heroic ability activated) and she remembers an old bit of lore. “The Dragon Hatchery” * Apocalyptic myths of early unsuccessful Dragon-Hybrids buried in the earth. * Depending on the version of the myth they are either a/ in a perpetual war with each other and, over the generations have become perfect war machines.(Perfected Dragon Kin), or b/ have become twisted degenerates who have turned to ynfernal powers - if freed they will cover Terrinoth in destruction and death (‘The Wretched Legion')